


Machine Charmer

by ReleasingTheKrakenIsMyFetish



Series: Ree [23]
Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Action & Romance, Confusion, F/M, Friendship/Love, Hacking, Kissing, Long Shot, Mixed feelings, Multi, Planning Adventures, Slow Build, Slow Burn, what's happening
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-10
Updated: 2017-11-10
Packaged: 2019-01-31 11:30:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12681000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReleasingTheKrakenIsMyFetish/pseuds/ReleasingTheKrakenIsMyFetish
Summary: Ree, Hancock and Nick decide to help out the settlers at Fort Hagen. Ree starts to feel confused - is Nick acting strange, or is it just her? 2nd Long shot of Ree & Hancock (And Valentine).





	Machine Charmer

Just after two hours from the shot I could already put weight on my injured leg. The swelling was still there so I couldn't tie the boot laces very tightly, but it seemed that I wouldn't need to use a Stimpak after all. As I had suspected and lucky for me, it had only been a slight sprain.

We were gathered around an old map Wilson had brought us and inspecting the fastest route to Sunshine Tidings.

”Why can't we just walk through these woods here?” I pointed at the map, but Nick shook his head.

”We could, but it would be very risky. There's the federal ration stockpile and it's now in raiders' hands. It's also full of mines.”

”So you're saying we should go the long way around along the roads?” Hancock scratched his neck.

”It would be the safest choice, and it's likely that Mary and the men with her chose the same route.”

As we continued to explore the map there was a sudden commotion outside the room. I heard anxious shouting and things falling over, and all three of us grabbed our guns.

”Stay here, I'll check out the situation”, Nick exclaimed and ran out, as Hancock moved in front of me.

”Shit, not a moment of peace”, Hancock grunted, but it soon turned out that it wasn't an attack.

The shouting came closer, but as no gunshots or other sounds of fighting followed, we stayed put. The commotion moved closer, but then from another room and Nick returned to us, gun holstered.

”Some young men got injured while scavenging and they were just brought in. Seems like at least one of them has it bad.”

”Is there anything we can do to help?” I asked as I tugged my pistol away, too.

”I think it's best to let them deal with it themselves. We'd just be in the way.”

I had to agree with Nick. Besides, the ghoul woman called Lauren had said earlier that they have just about everything they need in their stock.

”Maybe we should take a look around the houses here, too. If we're gonna travel to Sunshide Tidings, we could use more meds”, Hancock patted the map. ”We could probably spend the night here and leave tomorrow morning. How's your ankle doing, Ree?”

”It feels fine-”

”Hancock!”, Wilson came running to us. He had dark red spots all over him, but it didn't look like he was injured. ”I'm sorry, but do you have any blood packs with you? One of our boys has lost a ton of it and needs a transfusion.”

Hancock glanced at us before answering.

”We only have some Stimpaks. I thought you guys had everything?”

”Lauren forgot we had to use the last of our blood packs few days ago. We have Stimpaks, but right now they're just enough to keep him stable. Shit”, Wilson grunted kicked the door in fury. ”If we just could break inside the lab at the Blood Clinic...”

”Well, what's stoppin' ya?” Nick turned his yellow eyes at Wilson.

”It's locked by a terminal and no one here can bypass it”, the ghoul was pacing back and forth, but then stopped in his tracks and stared at Valentine. ”But you can, can't you?”

Nick glanced at the map and I could guess what he was thinking. We had our mission, but then again someone needed our help right here.

”Where is the Blood Clinic?” I stepped forward and Wilson got a glimmer of hope in his dark eyes.

”It's practically next to us, South from here. I'm sure there will be plenty of meds and chems stashed in there, so you'd get something out of it, too.”

”There's no harm in trying?” I directed my question at Nick.

”I take it you've already cleared out the other parts of the Clinic?” Hancock asked and Wilson nodded eagerly.

”There were just some bloodbugs and boatflies and we killed them all, so it's safe.”

”If that's the case, then I'll give it a try at once”, Nick agreed.

”I could come with you”, I suggested, but Hancock laid his hand on my shoulder and judging of his face he was about to tell me I should stay here. ”I'm fine, really. And I happen to know something about the terminals too. Besides, he just said it's safe”, I pointed out.

”We also need help with fetching the things the boys dropped while they got chased by mongrels”, Wilson added. ”It would be a great help if you, Hancock, could come with us. It's possible the mongrels are still at the scene.”

Hancock took off his hat and rubbed his face.

”Give us a sec, Wilson?”

”Sure, just... let me know as soon as possible. We can't afford to lose anyone.”

Wilson left and Hancock turned to Nick and me while putting his hat back on.

”I should help them. Wilson isn't the only one I recognize being from Goodneighbor and I feel it's my duty to do so. Nick, you'll check on the terminal?”

”Fine by me”, Nick replied and I stepped next to the synth detective.

”I'll come too. John, let me do this. I can't stay here if you're both out there trying to help these people. I want to do my share”, I met his eyes with determination.

Hancock sighed, but then he smiled and lift his hand on my cheek.

”Gotcha. Keep her safe for me, Nicky.”

”You know I will”, Nick nodded and tactfully turned his back on us when Hancock took my face between his palms and kissed me gently.

”You too”, I murmured as his lips parted mine. ”Come back in one piece.”

”It'll take more than few mongrels to keep me away from you”, Hancock grinned and his hand on my neck pulled me back to him. His second kiss was anything but gentle. He tilted his head, made me open my mouth and feeling his tongue touching mine shot an electric pulse throughout my body.

Nick coughed, still facing the other way.

”If you're ready.”

”Sorry, let's go”, I was flushed with embarrassment. Hancock just grinned and his black eyes were laughing.

…

Wilson pointed us the Blood Clinic and told where we'd find the locked terminal. The Clinic was indeed right next door to Fort Hagen and there wasn't anything or anyone in sight,when we headed inside and located the stairs. The building was mostly collapsed; many of the walls were knocked down.

It was clear that the settlers at Fort Hagen had swiped the place clean from anything useful. Every desk and shelf was emptied, and only scattered papers and files were laying around. There were also mummified or rotting corpses of giant bugs here and there.

”Probably was a real nice set-up in its day”, Nick commented when we ascended a ramp someone had fashioned out of boards.

”Yeah, but now it's almost hard to believe. It's every day when I get to see new places and buildings like this... It really hits me that it's been over 200 years.”

We saw the terminal almost instantly when we got to the second floor – it was mounted on the wall right next to a heavily secured door.

”Careful that you don't fall through”, Nick warned me and we proceeded cautiously. There were big, gaping holes in the floors and ceilings. In fact, there was more holes than solid wood and stone.

Nick started working on that right away and I wandered around the second floor. I took a peek inside the room next to the locked door, but it was just a toilet. In another small room held only file cabinets and various papers.

”Any luck?” I asked returning to Nick.

He clicked his tongue and kept his eyes fixed on the screen.

”They don't usually build security like this to protect a broom closet. It's almost embarrassing to admit, but this thing here-” He slapped the terminal lightly and frowned. ”Doesn't feel like cooperating. It just locked me out again.”

”Can I try?”

”Be my guest. It will reset in a few seconds”, Nick moved away and let me in front of the terminal.

It had been a long time since I had used one of these. I still recalled most of what I had learned – before I became a librarian I had studied computers and coding in order to pursue a career with the army, like my dad had wanted. But since he disappeared I reconsidered of what I wanted to do and the rest is history. Literally.

The terminal flashed with green text, demanding a pass code. I drew a deep breath.

”Okay. Let's see what we're dealing with.”

As I rummaged around inside the terminal's interface I remembered that I had really liked working with computers. It was something about their logic and ability to hide secrets that allured me.

”Hey, look at you”, Nick's voice sounded pleasantly surprised.

”I might never become a great shot like Annie Oakley”, I murmured. ”But I can do... at least this.”

I pressed Enter, and after a second of hesitation the terminal bowed to its new queen.

_MaxLock Security Door Control Interface_

_STATUS: Locked_

_[Open Door]_

”Open, please”, I clicked at the command and the door gave out a rusty clank.

”Huh. I got a pretty good track record cracking those old things, but it seems that I've met my match. That was mighty impressive, Ree. There any machines you can't charm?”

The sudden compliment made me blush and I chuckled nervously.

”I just got lucky”, I tried to smile, but noticed that I didn't want to turn to look at him. What was wrong with me today?

Nick pushed the door open and revealed a small room with a desk, a chem station, an old safe... and behind the door was couple of refrigerators, filled with blood packs.

”Bingo!” Nick started taking out the packs and I studied the room. I grabbed two Stimpaks I found, and a syringe of Med-X.

”What's this? ...Day Tripper?” I took a green-ish bottle and turned it around in my hands.

Nick stood up with a small cardboard box in which he had collected the blood packs. Seeing the bottle he snorted sceptically.

”I'm surprised that John hasn't yet introduced you to the Day Trippers. It's a chem that supposedly gives the user a ”happy escape”. If you take it along, I'm sure that John will be pleased.”

”You don't approve chems”, I noted instead of asking.

”I'm not really for or against them. We all have our ways to cope with things.”

I glanced at the safe.

”What about that? Should we try opening it?”

”We'll let the people at Fort Hagen know about it, so they can come and pick the lock. We have everything we came for, so we should head back.”

I followed Nick out of the room and downstairs. We were just about to step out, when something caught my eye in one of the rooms.

”Wait, there's another terminal. Could I check it out real quick?”

Nick turned around and shrugged.

”Sure, go ahead.”

This one wasn't locked, but there were some patient logs. I gave some of them a quick look, but the last one I read made me breath out in excitement.

”Nick! I might've found something. There's a note mixed with the patient records... According to this someone has stashed some chems in the blood storage room in the basement. We should get it, unless someone else hasn't already.”

Nick walked next to me and he too read the message before nodding approvingly.

”Interesting. Someone working here had a bit of a side business goin' on, huh? A stash of chems... Shouldn't take too long. I think I spotted the stairs down, too.”

We left the box of blood packs waiting for us next to the terminal and made our way to the stairs. I found my flashlight and, just in case, took out my pistol.

”Good call. Even if the settlers have recently been here, something might've crawled down there since then”, Valentine unholstered his gun, too. ”Here, I'll go first.”

I watched as he descended the stairs, placing his feet carefully as he did. When he reached the bottom he turned around.

”Looks empty. Come on.”

I followed him down to a small room. There were some wooden boxes and more file cabinets, but nothing else really. When we turned a corner we saw that our way was blocked by big pieces of fallen ceiling and rubble, but just before it was a closed door.

”Maybe that's the storage room”, I hurried to open it. I was so anxious after my previous success with the locked terminal that I forgot the number two rule with closed doors – after checking that it isn't booby-trapped, listen for any danger that might lurk behind it.

Opening the door caused immediate stirring inside the second room. Two blood bugs and a sickly looking boatfly set flying and I raised my pistol at biggest of them, which was diving right at me. It all happened so fast that I was only doing what my instinct told me.

”Ree, don't!” Nick yelled and I saw him plunging at me, but it was too late.

I pulled the trigger just before Nick pushed my arms down and stepped in front of me. The explosion wasn't enough to throw us off our feet, but it made Nick stagger against me and a cloud of trash and dust surrounded us.

It took a few seconds to really understand what just had happened. There had to be something, maybe a gas leak, which ignited when I fired my gun. Nick had seen it right away. He had tried to stop me from shooting, but couldn't make it.

When I opened my eyes my heart jumped and almost crawled out from my throat. Nick had protected me from the explosion. His arms were around me and my face was buried against his dusty shirt. The black tie was hanging right next to my eyes. He was a bit taller than Hancock, so I only reached him to his chest.

Slowly looking up I saw that he had lost his fedora. The room was dim now, when I had dropped the flashlight and it was lying on the floor, illuminating the wall next to us. But even when it was too dark to really see his expression, his yellow eyes shone at me.

”You hurt?” His concerned words finally reached me. I realized that it wasn't the first time he asked me that just now, but I had been so shaken that for a moment I hadn't understood anything.

”...No”, I managed to whisper.

Something made me uneasy. Being so close to him. I didn't know why and it bothered me all the way down to the core.

”There was gasoline on the floor back there. Probably leaked out from some old canister. You sure you're okay?”

”I'm- I'm fine. I didn't see it. The bugs came at me and I panicked.”

Nick still didn't let go of me and the uneasiness started to grow.

”Nick? I'm fine”, I repeated with not as steady voice as I had hoped, but it seemed to wake him up and release his hold.

”Ah, sorry, kiddo”, he stepped back and gave me some space. There was a slight tone of confusion when he said that. ”Must've been some... minor glitch in my memory.”

I shook the dust and some small bits of paper off me and reached down for the flashlight. Next to it I noticed the worn fedora and handed it to Nick.

”Here. I'm really sorry. Are you okay?” I watched him as he put on his hat and straightened his jacket.

”Yeah. Well, at least the bugs are got toasted”, he glanced back in the room where the remains of slimy bits and pieces were everything that was left of the pests.

The bugs were the only surprise the basement had for us. In the adjacent room we found the storage cabinets along the hidden stash of chems – mostly Jet and Mentats. We quickly gathered them and returned to the ground floor.

”Okay, let's hurry back to Fort Hagen”, Nick noted and grabbed the box of blood packs while I held on to a chem cooler.

”Nick, I- is everything really all right?” I had almost force the words out of my mouth. But I needed to know if something was wrong between us.

Nick turned to look at me and flashed a smile that held nothing concerning about it.

”Sure, why?”

I studied his face for a second before shaking my head and returning his smile.

”Just wanted to make sure.”

 


End file.
